What is There to Be Joyful About?
It is difficult to imagine a darker Christmas in modern history than Christmas in 1941. Japan had attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor not three weeks earlier, plunging us into World War II. Although the US and Great Britain were in the war together, many years of untold loss and bloodshed lied ahead.
On Christmas Eve, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the free world at the tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC. Churchill’s words are both hopeful and haunting.
“Let the children have their night of fun and laughter. Let the gifts of Father Christmas delight their play. Let us grown-ups share to the full in their unstinted pleasures before we turn again to the stern task and the formidable years that lie before us…”
In other words, let yourself feel joy despite the uncertainty of the future.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, angels announced his birth to shepherds out in the field.
“ Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:10-11, NLT)
We read this at Christmas time forgetting there was no obvious reason for Joy. Israel was oppressed by the Roman Empire. Its people suffered under a corrupt government and a bloated religious system. Poverty was everywhere and there was no hope for overcoming it. The Light of the World came into the darkest of times.
If you watch the news and believe everything you read on social media, you may not see much reason for joy. But in the darkest night, even a small light shines brightly. Things are changing all around us, it’s true. But when you’re going through change and waiting for something new in your life remember:
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)
Hope is on the horizon.